Wait, I thought Google+ was dead?

It is! But, this is something even better. And, it’s been around for years (shh!).

Let us explain.

When you type a business name into Google, the very first thing you see is the Google Business Profile, taking up almost half the right side of the page.

Like so.

Traditionally, the Business Profile contains only a business’ address, phone number, hours of operation, and reviews, as well as a few photos. Previously, this simple layout didn’t leave much opportunity for business owners to communicate about their offerings and services. Now, though, Google is allowing businesses much greater creative control in the form of Google Posts.

Google Posts are just like Facebook or LinkedIn posts, except
they’re visible to a massive audience, not just your social media followers.
You can use Google Posts to promote a sales event, announce a new product or
service, advertise a recent accomplishment, or anything else. Obviously, this
is a tremendous opportunity for small businesses to communicate with clients
and prospects alike. Read on to learn everything you need to know about Google Posts.

What types of Google
Posts can I make?

As with other forms of marketing, the sky’s the limit in
terms of what kind of content you want to share with your followers. You could
use the Google Posts section to promote flash sales and events; showcase bestselling
products; celebrate company milestones; advertise an open position; and much
more. Some more Google Post examples include:

A school posting an emergency weather
update.

A hair salon showing off some of the previous
week’s happy customers.

A doctor’s office encouraging people to book an
appointment.

A marketing company welcome a new employee to
the team.

A coffee shop showing a video of a latte being
made.

Google Posts last for about a week, and you can have up to
ten of them running simultaneously, so there’s (almost) no limit to what you
can do.

How can Google Posts help my local SEO?

Google likes Google stuff. This simple fact has been known to SEO consultants almost as long as SEO has been a thing. All of your Google Posts will be indexed by, guess who? Yep, Google!

Google’s algorithms tend to give a high search value to things that Google itself created, like the now-defunct Google Plus (may it rest in peace). For that reason alone, it’s a smart idea to make Google Posts a part of your overall SEO strategy, whether or not the posts are actually being indexed. It never hurts to play on the winning team. And with 93% of the global search market in its palm, Google’s the undisputed search winner.

Google
Posts also offer a great opportunity to drive traffic to your website. If you
post about an event, job opening, or sale and link it back to your website,
your website will be indexed as more popular, and Google will elevate it in
search rankings.

What about traditional SEO methods?

At
this point, you might be asking yourself, why should I make content that drives people to my website, when I
could use traditional SEO to direct traffic to the website itself? Using Google
Posts may seem like adding an unnecessary middle man to get the same end
result.

The
thing is, fewer and fewer people are consulting Google’s text search results
when they’re looking for a business. Think about the last time you were driving
around, looking for a nearby restaurant. If you’re like the vast majority of
people, you were probably interacting with the Helpful White Box, not Google’s
text search results page. And it’s no wonder: With all the important
information condensed into one place, Google My Business is far more convenient
to mobile users on the go. Long story short? Since that’s where your customers
are going, that’s where your content needs to be.

Of
course, we’re not saying that traditional SEO is a waste of time—you should also focus on getting organic rankings
from search results. The best SEO strategy is one that reaches both mobile
users and desktop users, and adding
Google Posts to your SEO arsenal is a great way to do that.

Can I measure my Google Post engagement?

Yes,
you can, very easily. Google Posts’ reporting data is called Insights, and you
can easily access it from your Google My Business page. You’ll be able to see
each post’s views, clicks, and overall engagement percentage in a weekly or
monthly time period. You’ll also be able to see data from the previous week,
and compare it to the current week’s results.

You
will also be able to track engagement by adding a coupon code to a certain
post. If a visitor makes an online purchase using the code, you will know via
Insights that they came from Posts.

How
do I make a Google Post?

First, you’ll need a Google My Business account, which you can access either online or through the Google My Business app. Once you’re logged in to your Google My Business Account, go to your business listing and click on “Posts” in the left-hand menu.

Now, all you have to do is write your content, keeping it under the 300 word limit. You can (and should) upload an eye-catching image or video to accompany it.

Finally, you can add a call to action button (like “book an appointment” or “buy here”) that leads back to your website. You can submit up to ten posts, and visitors will be able to view them either by scrolling from left to right, or in list format.

You
will also have the option to create an event, in which case you’ll be prompted
to enter the start/end day and time. The post will expire when the event is
over. Everything else will expire after 7 days, giving you the opportunity to
continuously add fresh content.

If “continuously adding fresh content” sounds like “something else that I, in no way, have time for”, give Whiteboard Creations a call or submit an online form to schedule a meeting. With more than 13 years’ experience as a search engine optimization and digital marketing company, we know how to make powerful, click-worthy content that’s relevant and engaging. Oh, and outranks your competition!

Let us take your content writing, social media marketing, paid search advertising, and local SEO tasks off your hands, so you can focus on running your business.